Patients with severely compromised respiratory systems are typically unable to maintain an adequate oxygen saturation (also referred to as saturation per pulse oximetry or SpO.sub.2) without the use of supplemental oxygen. The respiratory systems of these individuals may be damaged due to disease or other complications. The lungs of such patients are not able to sufficiently receive oxygen and discharge carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2). As a result, individuals with these complications may have periods when the level of oxygen saturation in the blood is very low, due to exertion, and other moments in time when the level can rise to a near critical level due to lack of exertion.
Currently in the medical community doctors typically request an arterial blood gas test to determine the amount of oxygen and CO.sub.2 in the patient's blood. Thereafter, the doctor is able to prescribe supplemental oxygen flow levels for the patient based upon the determined values. A physician can prescribe an increase in the fractional inspired oxygen (FiO.sub.2) through the use of supplemental oxygen. The body equilibrates a change in fractional inspired oxygen in approximately 15 to 20 minutes in an average case. Supplemental flow levels are chosen to preferably maintain the patient within a predefined SpO.sub.2 range and not create a high level of carbon dioxide. High levels of either oxygen or carbon dioxide can be very detrimental to such patients.
Typically, patients with compromised respiratory systems are rechecked using a pulse oximeter to obtain the patient's SpO.sub.2. The readings for particular individuals are typically performed on a scheduled basis in a health care facility. The basis may be monthly or even weekly for outpatients. This monitoring is performed to assure that the oxygen saturation is within a prescribed range.
Conventional treatment methods have a variety of drawbacks. The necessary monitoring of the oxygen level is at least an inconvenience for individuals having compromised respiratory systems. Further, such monitoring provides only a snapshot of the patient's oxygen saturation level over a given period of time. The physician is not provided with numerous data points which could possibly be utilized to assist with prescribing more helpful treatment for an individual. Although the fractional inspired oxygen and oxygen saturation levels can be increased through the use of supplemental oxygen, some associated problems of numerous individuals are not cured through the use of supplemental oxygen at one prescribed level. For example, during periods of exertion the individual may need more supplemental oxygen than the prescribed level. On the other hand, complications can result if the prescribed level of supplemental oxygen is too high.
Therefore, there exists a need in the art to provide improved devices and methods of determining oxygen saturation levels of individuals with compromised respiratory systems as well as delivering supplemental oxygen to such individuals.